My Journey with Dyscalculia: Challenges and Hacks for Gig Work

 

If you’re not familiar with dyscalculia, it’s similar to dyslexia but with numbers. While dyslexia affects how people process letters and words, dyscalculia impacts how we understand and work with numbers. It can show up in different ways for everyone, and for me, it’s been an interesting journey—especially since numbers are such a big part of gig work.

Math Was My Jam—Until It Wasn’t

Here’s the weird part: math was one of my strongest subjects growing up. I even competed in math competitions in sixth grade and did pretty well. Back then, I didn’t notice any issues, but as I’ve gotten older, things have changed. Now, I often find myself struggling with numbers in ways I never expected.

How Dyscalculia Affects Me

For me, dyscalculia doesn’t mean I see numbers reversed like some people experience with dyslexia. Instead, numbers sometimes “rearrange” themselves in my mind. For example, if I see a number like 6897, my brain might process it as 6987 before I type it out or use it. Sometimes I catch the mistake, but other times it can lead to errors.

This becomes especially tricky with things like two-factor authentication codes, phone numbers, or addresses. If someone rattles off a number like “50-19,” my brain might mix it up as 509 or something completely different. It’s a process that takes extra effort to untangle.

Finding Workarounds

In the gig world, where numbers are everywhere (think house numbers, phone numbers, order totals), I’ve had to create my own hacks to manage dyscalculia:

1. Breaking Numbers into Chunks
   Instead of trying to process an entire five-digit house number at once, I break it into smaller parts. For instance, if the address is 20642, I’ll focus on the first two digits (20) and then the last three (642) separately. This makes it easier for me to remember and confirm the address.

2. Repetition is Key
   I double- and triple-check every number I see—whether it’s a customer’s address or a delivery code. By looking at it multiple times, I can catch mistakes before they become a problem.

3. Speaking Numbers Aloud
   When I’m especially tired or having a tough day, I’ll break down numbers into individual digits in my head (e.g., “One-three-six” instead of “136”). This helps me avoid mixing them up.

4. Simplifying When Possible
   For long numbers, I focus on smaller chunks. For example, with multi-digit addresses, I might eliminate the first digit mentally and focus on the rest.

Learning and Adapting

Gig apps like Spark can complicate things, especially when GPS leads you to the wrong house. Thankfully, I haven’t had too many major mishaps, but staying mindful of my tendency to mix up numbers has been crucial. By knowing my limitations, I’ve been able to adapt and keep moving forward.

Encouragement for Others

If you’re navigating life with different abilities, know this: you can still succeed in the gig world (or any field) with the right strategies. Understand your strengths and weaknesses, create hacks that work for you, and don’t be afraid to adjust your methods as needed. Everyone’s journey is different, but we all have the ability to make it work.

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Do you have a similar experience or unique challenges you’ve had to adapt to? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’ve navigated your own journey. Let’s keep learning and growing together! 🚗✨

The Hidden Struggle of Delivery Drivers: Why Standardized House Addresses Could Make a Difference

 

Since becoming a delivery driver, I've noticed a surprising challenge that many homeowners might not think about: inconsistent and hard-to-find home addresses. Whether numbers are written in tiny fonts, placed in unconventional spots, or even absent altogether, these choices can make locating homes a significant challenge for delivery drivers. Here’s why this is an issue, how it impacts not just delivery drivers but also emergency responders, and what a standardized address system could look like.

The Issue with Home Addresses
Most people assume that because the USPS delivers to their homes daily, the system is smooth and organized. USPS mail carriers are usually familiar with their routes and have the advantage of consistency—often walking door-to-door or knowing exactly where curbside mailboxes are located. But as the delivery landscape shifts to accommodate more independent and subcontracted drivers for companies like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS, this familiarity is no longer guaranteed.

These new drivers are often unfamiliar with neighborhoods, relying on apps and GPS systems to navigate. Address visibility becomes even more crucial because many delivery drivers are on strict timelines. When addresses are hard to find, it delays deliveries and can lead to safety concerns, as drivers might appear suspicious or out of place to residents.

The Impact of Poorly Displayed Addresses
Consider this: some houses have address numbers hidden low on the home or written in fancy cursive fonts that are nearly impossible to decipher from the street. Others have no visible address at all. This makes deliveries a slow process, especially when drivers are trying to locate tiny numbers on mailboxes or search for addresses in fading light.

Emergency responders also face this issue. Firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders often need to locate homes quickly, and visible addresses could mean the difference between a timely response and a critical delay. Larger, reflective address numbers visible from the street would benefit both delivery services and emergency response teams.

The Case for Standardization
Just as light bulbs, doors, and other household items have standard measurements, so too should home address displays. Here’s what a standardized system could look like:

• Address Numbers of a Standard Size: Large enough to be visible from the street.
• Consistent Placement: Numbers placed within a certain distance from the curb or front door and on both sides of a mailbox if curbside.
• Reflective or Illuminated Numbers: Particularly helpful in low-light or nighttime conditions.
  These basic standards would make addresses easily visible and save time for delivery drivers, emergency responders, and even visitors.

Looking Ahead
While it may seem like a small issue, the lack of address standardization affects numerous industries. A push for standardization would greatly improve efficiency and safety for everyone involved.

Conclusion
The world of deliveries has changed. We’re no longer in the days when only the USPS knew our addresses. It’s time for us to adapt to the needs of modern delivery systems and emergency responders by making our addresses more visible and standardized. Let’s make our homes easier to find—because sometimes, it’s the small changes that make the biggest impact.

Watch the corresponding YouTube Video below: